Washington State coach Mike Leach is fascinated by pirates, having titled his autobiography “Swing Your Sword.” Gardner Minshew is an ex-Pirate, having transferred from East Carolina.
That swashbuckling connection is not the reason Minshew has become WSU's likely starting quarterback, but there's no question he's a central figure in Leach's QB-driven offense as the Cougars regroup this season.
WSU lost record-setting quarterback Luke Falk, a Logan High School alumnus who started for parts of four seasons in Pullman. The death of Tyler Hilinski, Falk’s probable successor, shook the program in January and launched the search that landed Minshew.